Jonathan Reassures Nigerians On Electoral Reforms

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday reiterated his determination to correct defects in the country’s electoral process.

He made the remarks in an address at a civic reception held for him on the occasion of his one-day working visit to the state on Saturday.

The President was earlier at Oghara where he inaugurated the Delta University Teaching Hospital and the headquarters of Nigerian Navy Logistics.

“My dear brothers and sisters, I am eager to correct the defect in the electoral process as we are all familiar with it,’’ Jonathan said at the reception.

“I don’t need to over labour you about that because the government is totally committed to a clean electoral process.’’

He commended the Delta government for its efforts in infrastructure development, and pledged the Federal Government’s commitment to the development of the entire Niger Delta region.

“Let me assure you that I am irrevocably committed to the development of the Niger Delta. We must develop the region to restore confidence and hope among our people and children.

“The Niger Delta master plan for development is on course and we will assist the NDDC and all the state governments to key in,’’ he said.

He stressed that the Nigerian Navy Logistics Command located in the state was critical to the realisation of the master plan, stressing that security of Delta and its water ways was important to the nation.

“This explains why government continues to invest in the modernisation of the Armed Forces and the regular updating of the weaponry to improve their capacity and capability to deal decisively with situations that demand attention.

“The Delta University Teaching Hospital which I commissioned today is a land mark development project, not for only the people of the state but also all Nigerians.

“With the kind of equipment we observed today, I believe it will help us to a greater extent in terms of healthcare delivery and this is commendable,’’ he stated.

Jonathan pledged to do everything within his power to assist Delta to continue to make progress, adding that he was also working with all the governors in the Niger Delta to sustain the Amnesty Programme.

He promised that the region would not be allowed to lag behind.

“As regards the amnesty, my self and all the governors in the region are working together, holding meetings every month to make sure that we are on the same pace.

“This is because we can no longer allow the area to continue to lag behind and what government needs to do, we must all collectively do it,’’ he said.

Speaking earlier, Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan appealed to all oil companies to account for the mess their continued environmental degradation and the oil spill had created in the region.

According to him, oil spill and environmental damage in the Niger Delta is worse than the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and has made investigation of oil damage in the area urgent and compelling.

He said the state had spent more than N15 billion on Independent Power Project in the state to address its power need.

“In laying out our vision, it is clear that we desired to build a world -class economy but our frustration, which is not peculiar to Delta, is the challenge of power supply,” he stated.

“Delta has a power demand of 1000 megawatt of which only 100 megawatt is available from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, this is highly inadequate.’’